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An Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) is a new requirement for foreign nationals from visa-exempt countries arriving in Canada by air, whether to visit the country directly or to pass through in transit.

July 31, 2017 – The SINP International Skilled Worker – Saskatchewan Express Entry category is now closed, with the 600 application slots filled in less than 36 hours, the province’s immigration portal says.

The stream opened on Thursday, July 27, 2017 and was closed again late on Friday, July 28, 2017, according to www.saskatchewan.ca.

Candidates from outside Canada, or with legal status in Canada, qualify for this Saskatchewan immigration category, provided they are not a refugee claimant.

Additionally, candidates must:

Have a profile in the Canada Express Entry Pool and a job seeker validation code.

Score a minimum of 60 points out of 100 on the SINP grid.

Provide valid language test results from a designated testing agency. The results should match what you declared in your Express Entry profile.

Have completed at least one year of post-secondary education, training or apprenticeship that’s comparable to the Canadian education system. You should have earned a diploma, certificate or degree.

Have at least one of the following:

One year of work experience in the past 10 years in a skilled profession (non-trades);

Two years of work experience in a skilled trade in the past five years; or

One year of work experience in Canada in the past three years (trades and non-trades).

Have work experience in a high skilled occupation in the National Occupational Classification (NOC) 0, A or B considered in demand in Saskatchewan.

Prove you are eligible for a license in Saskatchewan, where your profession is regulated, or a skilled trade. For skilled trades, a certificate is required from the Saskatchewan Apprenticeship and Trade Certification Commission.

July 30, 2017 – Canadian permanent residents must now present their permanent resident card or permanent resident travel document to board a flight to Canada, or enter the country by any other commercial means. Not carrying the card or document may result in a permanent resident not being allowed to board a flight, train, bus or boat.

In the first instance, before a permanent resident leaves Canada, it is important they check their permanent residence card will still be valid when they return. A new card can be applied for if the current one expires within six months.

If a permanent resident is already outside Canada when their card expires, they still have options.

When Returning by Commercial Vehicle: Plane, Bus, Train, or Boat

The permanent resident needs to apply for a permanent resident travel document, or they may not be allowed to travel. Apply for the document here.

Once back in Canada, a permanent resident can apply for a new card.

When Returning by Private Vehicle

The Canadian government publishes a list of other documents a permanent resident can use to establish their identity and re-enter the country. The list is here.

Once back in Canada, a permanent resident can apply for a new card.

How Long Is a Permanent Resident Card Valid For?

Most permanent resident cards are valid for five years, with some valid for one year. A resident is advised to apply for a new card if their card expires inside six months.

Current processing time for a new card is 64 days, but there is also an option for urgent processing.

Renouncing Permanent Resident Status

Statistics show a significant increase in the numbers of Europeans, Britons and Australians choosing to give up their status just so they can board a flight to Canada.

While there has been a surge in the number of dual citizens applying for their Canadian passport because of new Canada eTA rules, for permanent residents the trend is in the opposite direction.

The statistics show that since November 10, 2016, when the eTA became mandatory after a series of grace periods, Canadian permanent residents have been renouncing their status in significantly higher numbers.

In the last 18 months, more than 2,500 Britons have renounced their status, compared with a 2015 figure of 305. Some 571 Germans have done the same, compared to a few more than 150 in 2015. In Australia, 509 renounced their status in the last year-and-a-half, compared to 30 in 2015. The French are at it too, with 775 in 18 months compared to 117 in 2015.

Numbers Renouncing Canadian Permanent Resident Status

Last 18 months

2015

Britons

2,500

305

Australians

509

30

Germans

571

150

French

775

117

There are many reasons for a trickle of permanent residents renouncing their status each year, including anything from a reluctance to pay taxes to not liking the weather.

But the reason for the surge appears to be linked to the process of applying for the eTA.

Anyone travelling from a visa-exempt country into Canada by plane requires an eTA. Canadian permanent residents are exempt from the requirement. However, problems begin when permanent residents arrive at an airport without their PR card, with an expired PR card, or to find their status has lapsed for another reason, such as not spending enough time in Canada.

When this situation arises, the only way the person can travel that day is to renounce their permanent residence status and apply for the eTA as a visitor. And it seems there are thousands taking this option.

The dual citizenship issue was one of a number of problems with the eTA roll-out, for which the federal government face severe criticism.

The argument was that not enough was done to promote the new requirement, with travellers turning up at airports only to be told they could not fly.

A special measure introduced to assist dual citizens remains available as a result of the eTA problems. It was due to expire in January 2017.

The measure allows dual citizens to apply for special authorization to travel on their non-Canadian passport. The authorization lasts for four days and can only be applied for if you are flying in the next 10 days.

To apply for special authorization, you must:

have a flight to Canada that leaves in less than 10 days,

have a valid passport from a visa-exempt country,

And:

have previously received a certificate of Canadian citizenship, or

held a Canadian passport in the past, or

you were granted Canadian citizenship after having been a permanent resident of Canada.

All 57 cases were Chinese candidates who used the same unlicensed immigration consultant, Beijing-based Flyabroad.

The latest development in the case has given the candidates some hope, with the Canadian Federal Court saying each application should be considered individually, and that Ottawa was wrong to dismiss them as a group.

Even with this development, the cases are likely to be tied up in courts for months and years in a file that has already dragged on since 2015.

All 57 of the candidates used Flyabroad for applications via the Federal Skilled Worker Program, and failed to declare their representative on their applications.

When the details of the case became known, the IRCC wrote to all the applicants accusing them of using an unauthorized representative. Several of the candidates argued they had only used Flyabroad for translation services, not for immigration advice.

Problems with the regulation of the immigration consultancy industry were highlighted recently when a parliamentary committee recommended the responsible organization be disbanded.

The damning report suggests even those properly licensed by the Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council (ICCRC) are not being monitored properly. The committee concluded the council was in disarray, saying the federal government should take over the job of regulation.

Persistent problems abound. A central concern is the number of unlicensed rogue “ghost” consultants who continue to offer immigration related consulting services, inside Canada and overseas, in defiance of Canadian law. Additionally, the barriers to entry are so low that new consultants can easily obtain a license to practice after completing a 320-hour course of instruction and passing a multiple-choice test, without any supervised period of working experience in the field.

ICCRC In Free Fall

The ICCRC under its current executive, is clearly in free fall and unable to self-govern. It is mired in a cycle of resignations, including five from a 15-member board this year alone, conflicts of interest, high directors’ fees, petty infighting and near 3000 complaints against current members, and unlicensed fraudsters since 2011. Its complaints and review committees are comprised in part of untrained practicing consultants and retired RCMP personnel who lack the required competency and resources to properly investigate and enforce its own codes of professional and ethical standards. The parliamentary committee recommendation looks to be the final straw.

The ICCRC was set up in 2011 because of documented irregularities regarding how the previous regulatory body, the Canadian Society of Immigration Consultants, created in 2003, was being managed. Regulating consultants was first studied in 1995 with a parliamentary report advocating a self-regulating body, tabled in October 2002 and a subsequent report in 2008.

In the six years since ICCRC was created as a not-for-profit corporation in 2011, the number of licensed consultants has increased from 1,700 to near 4,000 and its revenue base founded primarily on membership fees is by all accounts, excessive. The latest figures show it has an operational surplus exceeding $1 million.

What is the difference between hiring a lawyer and hiring a licensed consultant?

A consultant is any person called on to give advice. A lawyer (attorney, barrister or solicitor) is licensed to perform legal functions. These may include:

Drafting documents

Interpreting and applying laws

Giving legal advice

Representing clients in court

The practice of law is regulated by each of the provinces. A lawyer must have the following credentials:

Bachelor of law degree from recognized university

Law admission examinations

Training under practicing lawyer

The conduct of lawyers in Canada is regulated by the Professional Order of Lawyers (POL).

POL rules cover areas including:

Separate trust bank accounts for client fees

Obligations of lawyers towards clients

Performance of mandates

Extensive mandatory continuing legal education

However, replacing a self-regulatory body with another self-regulating entity has only resulted in a like-for-like set of circumstances six years later.

The Canadian Bar Association (CBA), representing 36,000 lawyers in Canada, has had its say, withdrawing its support for immigration consultants and telling the parliamentary committee there are ‘serious questions about whether immigration consultants are capable of self-regulation’.

On the government’s part, a spokesperson for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada issued a complacent holding statement saying it was monitoring the issue, while expressing confidence the ICCRC would resolve internal issues.

“The department is 100% committed to working with the current construct of the ICCRC”, said one Director General to the parliamentary committee. Given almost 15 years of a failed history from two consecutive regulatory bodies established by Ottawa, this response defies any credibility.

A recent Federal Court decision further highlights Ottawa’s challenges. In it’s biggest case on the topic, the court found on behalf of 57 applicants suspected of using the services of an unlicensed consultant in China who were refused en-masse for doing so. The court concluded that each applicant should have been given a fair opportunity to respond to concerns by Canadian immigration authorities. The cases will now be returned to the visa office but as practitioners know, applicants should not expect their applications to be resolved anytime soon.

The way out of this decades’ long morass is clear. Ottawa should get on with the task of disbanding the Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council, without delay. In its place, and given the persistent failure of the federal government to establish a self-governing body, it should revert back to square one. It must permit representation for compensation only by lawyers who are members in good standing with a law society in Canada, or notaries with similar standing in Quebec.

Alternatively, it should consider setting up its own regulatory body with proper oversight and safeguards to ensure impartiality, within the Department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. There is ample precedent and strategic benefit for this. In Australia, the Office of Immigration has set up a highly successful in-house regulatory body, the Migration Agents Registration Authority.

Closer to home, the Province of Quebec, which has its own authority to manage a comprehensive immigration program, regulates immigration consultants within the Quebec Ministry of Immigration. In both instances, there is an established infrastructure that successfully regulates immigration consultants, without the repetitive problems faced by ICCRC and its predecessor.

The Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council is dead. But the immediate need to protect the public is not. Canada’s federal minister of immigration Ahmed Hussen, who has legal authority to evaluate oversight of ICCRC, must now consider implementing transitional measures to relieve its current executive and appoint a suitable temporary replacement. This could also include participation from each of the 10 provincial and territorial law societies, pending the creation of a new entity. Such action would go a long way to help preserve the integrity of our immigration system and ensure it does not become further compromised.

Interested employers: Kindly contact us here to receive further information.

Interested candidates: Find out whether you qualify to Canada by completing our free on-line evaluation. We will provide you with our evaluation within 1-2 business days.

July 30, 2017 – Canada Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen has defended the move to introduce a lottery system for the Parent and Grandparent Sponsorship Program.

Hussen says the new system is fair, despite reports of less than 1,000 applications being received against a target of 10,000.

Now Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is planning a second draw in the face of harsh criticism, with many calls for a return to the only first-come, first-served system.

“It’s a very fair system,” Hussen said of the new lottery. “The previous system favoured those who lived closer to the centre or those who were able to pay a lot of money and hire an agent to basically stay in line for hours. This system is random, so it treats everyone fairly.”

Some 95,000 families put their names forward for the draw at the start of 2017, with 10,000 names drawn at random and invited to apply.

But figures quoted by an IRCC representative suggested only 700 applications have been submitted so far, with some of them incomplete.

“Once we determine how many incomplete applications were received, the department will then notify the required number of additional sponsors using the original list and same randomized process that was taken to identify the first 10,000 persons invited to submit an application,” IRCC spokeswoman Nancy Caron told the National Observer.

“We expect this process to occur before the end of 2017.”

The IRCC changed the system for 2017 in an attempt to make it fairer. Previously, an application window would open in January and the first 10,000 received would be processed. This led to couriers lining up at processing centres and effectively meant all applicants required the help of a lawyer.

The first criticism of the IRCC change was that it was not announced until December 2016. Many families had already gone to the time and expense of preparing applications in anticipation of the old system.

Then there was a feeling the method for entering the lottery did not go into enough detail. There are strict qualification requirements for the Parent and Grandparent Sponsorship Program, including on income of the sponsor and on health of the parent or grandparent. These requirements were not listed on the basic form for entering the lottery. It seems families entered without realising they would not be eligible.

‘Adjustments for Next Year’

The IRCC’s Caron admitted the process may have to be tweaked.

“We are continuing to monitor results and will make any necessary adjustments for next year,” she told the Observer.

“The previous system resulted in a backlog of applications which progressively got bigger year after year given the popularity of the program. We felt that it was unacceptable for people to wait many years to be reunited with their parents or grandparents. The fact is that caps are needed to prevent unmanageable backlogs and long processing times.

“With the new process, we are giving everyone the same opportunity to apply in the program. Therefore, the new process is fairer and more transparent for everyone. With the new process, a person can wait to see if they are invited to apply before spending time and money to prepare and submit their sponsorship application.”

Interested employers: Kindly contact us here to receive further information.

Interested candidates: Find out whether you qualify to Canada by completing our free on-line evaluation. We will provide you with our evaluation within 1-2 business days.

The draw was dated July 19, 2017, but also included a tech-only draw on July 26, 2017, according to the B.C. immigration website.

Both of the province’s skilled worker categories saw minimum scores of 85 under the latest draw, while international graduates required a minimum score of 80. Entry level and semi-skilled workers required a score of 45 or more.

British Columbia immigration recently revealed it has been conducting specific B.C. PNP draws aimed at technology workers since May 2017.

Further tech-only draws took place on May 17, May 31, June 14, June 21, July 5 and July 12. The change is evidence of how the province is positioning itself to benefit from technology workers looking for alternatives to the U.S. under Donald Trump’s presidency.

The previous B.C. PNP draw saw 323 invitations issued and included two of the six technology-only draws.

In a change from previous draw announcements, British Columbia immigration officials chose not to itemize the figures by category. This means exactly how many skilled workers and international graduates were invited is not known.

A coveted provincial nomination effectively guarantees selection under the Canada Express Entry System, worth 600 Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points. Canada has not seen a draw with a minimum points score above 500 in the whole of 2017.

The B.C. PNP publishes the scores immigrants need to guarantee an invitation for Canada immigration under its programs.

The score needed for an international graduate is 30 points below a skilled worker under both the Canada Express Entry and provincial stream.

“To be accepted, your application must be complete with all required documents or it will be returned and the application fee will not be refunded,” said a statement on the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP) website.

The category is aimed at skilled workers wishing to live and work in Saskatchewan, have a profile in the Canada Express Entry Pool and meet specific criteria.

Candidates must pay a non-refundable $300 fee on submitting their application.

Interested employers: Kindly contact us here to receive further information.

Interested candidates: Find out whether you qualify to Canada by completing our free on-line evaluation. We will provide you with our evaluation within 1-2 business days.

July 28, 2017 – Saskatchewan immigration’s popular International Skilled Worker – Saskatchewan Express Entry category opened for applications on Thursday, July 27.

The Canada Express Entry stream is currently accepting 600 applications, according to www.saskatchewan.ca.

“To be accepted, your application must be complete with all required documents or it will be returned and the application fee will not be refunded,” said a statement on the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP) website.

The category is aimed at skilled workers wishing to live and work in Saskatchewan, have a profile in the Canada Express Entry Pool and meet specific criteria.

Candidates must pay a non-refundable $300 fee on submitting their application.

Candidates from outside Canada, or with legal status in Canada, qualify for this Saskatchewan immigration category, provided they are not a refugee claimant.

Additionally, candidates must:

Have a profile in the Canada Express Entry Pool and a job seeker validation code.

Score a minimum of 60 points out of 100 on the SINP grid.

Provide valid language test results from a designated testing agency. The results should match what you declared in your Express Entry profile.

Have completed at least one year of post-secondary education, training or apprenticeship that’s comparable to the Canadian education system. You should have earned a diploma, certificate or degree.

Have at least one of the following:

One year of work experience in the past 10 years in a skilled profession (non-trades);

Two years of work experience in a skilled trade in the past five years; or

One year of work experience in Canada in the past three years (trades and non-trades).

Have work experience in a high skilled occupation in the National Occupational Classification (NOC) 0, A or B considered in demand in Saskatchewan.

Prove you are eligible for a license in Saskatchewan, where your profession is regulated, or a skilled trade. For skilled trades, a certificate is required from the Saskatchewan Apprenticeship and Trade Certification Commission.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has received hundreds of complaints about sites charging exorbitant amounts for the authorization.

The problem is the sites are not doing anything illegal. They do not claim to be the official Canadian government website and often contain small print disclaimers pointing out they are a private entity.

It means the government cannot take any action, while there are also concerns travellers are handing over personal information to private companies with no guarantee on how it will be used.

The implementation of the eTA suffered serious teething problems, with confusion over who needed one and travellers frequently turning up to airports without the authorization.

As part of the implementation, a new requirement for Canadian dual citizens meant they could only fly into Canada using their Canadian passport. The change has seen a surge in Canadian passport applications. Canadian missions in Australia, the UK, France and Germany say the increase in application numbers has caused processing times to double in some cases.

The dual citizenship issue was one of a number of problems with the eTA roll-out, for which the federal government faced severe criticism.

The argument was that not enough was done to promote the new requirement, with travellers turning up at airports only to be told they could not fly.

A special measure introduced to assist dual citizens remains available as a result of the eTA problems. It was due to expire in January 2017.

Canada eTA Special Authorization: Conditions

To apply for special authorization, you must:

have a flight to Canada that leaves in less than 10 days,

have a valid passport from a visa-exempt country,

And:

have previously received a certificate of Canadian citizenship, or

held a Canadian passport in the past, or

you were granted Canadian citizenship after having been a permanent resident of Canada.

The measure allows dual citizens to apply for special authorization to travel on their non-Canadian passport. The authorization lasts for four days and can only be applied for if you are flying in the next 10 days.

A further requirement means Canadian permanent residents must prove their status before flying. If they cannot, the figures suggest they are choosing to renounce their status on the spot.

In the last 18 months, more than 2,500 Britons have renounced their status, compared with a 2015 figure of 305. Some 571 Germans have done the same, compared to a few more than 150 in 2015. In Australia, 509 renounced their status in the last year-and-a-half, compared to 30 in 2015. The French are at it too, with 775 in 18 months compared to 117 in 2015.

Canadian permanent residents are exempt from the eTA requirement. However, problems begin when permanent residents arrive at an airport without their PR card, with an expired PR card, or to find their status has lapsed for another reason, such as not spending enough time in Canada.

Numbers Renouncing Canadian Permanent Resident Status

Last 18 months

2015

Britons

2,500

305

Australians

509

30

Germans

571

150

French

775

117

When this situation arises, the only way the person can travel that day is to renounce their permanent residence status and apply for the eTA as a visitor. And it seems there are thousands taking this option.

Do I need an Electronic Travel Authorization?

You need an eTA if you are travelling to Canada by air from a visa-exempt country. A full list of visa-exempt countries is available here.

The following are exempt from requiring an eTA:

Those who have already obtained a valid visa to enter Canada.

Anyone entering by land or sea.

Armed Forces visiting Canada on official duty.

Students who have a valid Canadian study permit dated on or after August 1, 2015.

Flight crew, civil aviation inspectors, accident investigators.

Temporary Foreign Workers who have a valid Canadian work permit date on or after August 1, 2015.

French citizens who live in and are travelling from St. Pierre and Miquelon.

Persons entering from the United States or St. Pierre and Miquelon, while holding valid status in Canada.

Accredited diplomats.

Canadian citizens and dual citizens (provided you are travelling on a Canadian passport)

Canadian permanent residents (you need your PR card or point of entry documentation)

US citizens (US permanent residents, or green card holders, DO require an eTA when travelling by air)

Special Case: Brazilian, Romanian and Bulgarian Nationals

As of May 1, 2017, Brazilians, Romanians and Bulgarians who have held a Canada visa in the last 10 years, or currently hold a US visa, do not require a visa to travel to Canada by air. Citizens of all three countries do need an eTA to travel to Canada by air. Citizens of all three countries still require a Canada visa to cross the border by car, bus, train or boat.

Special Case: Mexican Nationals

Mexicans were granted the right to travel to Canada without a visa as of December 1, 2016. They therefore require an eTA to travel by air. Mexicans with a visa still valid from before December 1, 2016 do not require an eTA.

How do I get an Electronic Travel Authorization?

You can apply for an eTA through the Canadian federal government website.

July 27, 2017 – Canada’s immigration minister has hinted similar programs to the Atlantic Immigration Pilot could be formed elsewhere in the country if it proves a success.

Ahmed Hussen says if the pilot brings real results to Nova Scotia, Newfoundland & Labrador, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, the blueprint will be taken elsewhere.

The employer-driven program aims to bring 2,000 new skilled immigrants a year to the region in each of 2017, 2018 and 2019.

“We want to see the fast processing, we want well-integrated [immigrants], we want to see the retention rate going up,” Hussen said. “If that’s the case, we will take those lessons to other parts of Canada that experience similar challenges.”

The former Somali refugee was speaking at an event hosted by the Association of Atlantic Universities earlier in July.

His speech also focused on retention, both of skilled immigrants and international graduates – a key challenge facing the Atlantic provinces. He highlighted how just 40 per cent of skilled immigrants who arrive in Atlantic Canada choose to stay.

“That is a very low number and we must do better,” Hussen said.

Despite a reported 65 per cent of Atlantic Canada international graduates saying they wanted to stay and work in the region, many say they are forced to leave because of a lack of job opportunities.

Atlantic Canada is at the sharp end of Canada’s problems with aging populations. New immigrants are crucial to improving the demographic and increasing the number of working-age residents.

Provincial politicians have described it as the single biggest issue facing the region.

The Carrot Approach

Retention of immigrants in the more rural provinces is not a new problem for Canada, so if the current lawmakers are going to solve it, they need to think innovatively.

There needs to be considerable joined-up thinking across all levels of government to make it happen.

Provincial policy makers need to create the right conditions and consider a variety of measures for immigrants to remain there.

Given the need to rely on immigration as a tool to meet growing demographic challenges, policy makers in Atlantic Canada and elsewhere must consider the carrot approach.

The immigration tools are in place. They just need to be complemented with input from a much wider range of stakeholders to create the right conditions for immigrants to remain by choice.

This strategy will go a long way to helping ensure the success of Canada’s overall immigration policy objectives.

The Atlantic Immigration Pilot

Early figures suggest the Atlantic Immigration Pilot has made a solid start after it opened on March 6, 2017.

It features immigration streams for high and intermediate skilled workers, plus international graduates.

The program has seen 180 candidates cleared to apply for immigration since it opened. More than 250 skilled workers and international graduates have applied for provincial endorsement.

On the employer side, 600 have expressed an interest in using the program to recruit workers, with 400 so far achieving the required designation.

Once the designation is received, an employer can begin recruiting workers under the pilot’s three categories: the Atlantic Intermediate-Skilled Program, the Atlantic High-Skilled Program and the Atlantic International Graduate Program.

Candidates can apply for permanent residence through the program once they:

receive a job offer from a designated employer,

develop a settlement plan with a designated Atlantic service provider organization, and

are endorsed by an Atlantic provincial government.

While they are in the process of applying, candidates are given expedited processing for temporary work permits. It means they can be in Canada, doing the job while their permanent residence application is being processed.

Atlantic Immigration Pilot: The Programs

Atlantic High-Skilled Program

Atlantic Intermediate-Skilled Program

Atlantic International Graduate Program

The work experience, education, and job offer a candidate needs will depend on whether they are applying as a worker or an international student graduate. The other requirements are the same for both.

Work Experience

Workers

You must have worked for at least one year (1,560 hours total or 30 hours per week) within the last three years. It can be full-time, non-continuous, or part-time, as long as it adds up to 1,560 hours.

The work must be:

In one occupation (but can be with different employers)

Paid (volunteering or unpaid internships do not count)

At skill type/level 0, A, B, or C of the National Occupational Classification (NOC)

Under the Atlantic High-Skilled Program, workers need one year of experience at skill type/level 0, A, or B.

Under the Atlantic Intermediate-Skilled Program, workers need one year of experience to be at the skill level C.

The experience can be gained inside or outside Canada.

International Graduates

Candidates do not need work experience.

Education

Workers

Candidates must have:

A Canadian secondary (high school) or post-secondary certificate, diploma or degree,

OR

A foreign degree, diploma, certificate, or trade or apprenticeship education credential. Candidates need an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) to make sure it is valid and equal to a Canadian credential. The ECA must show your education is equal to a completed Canadian secondary (high school) or post-secondary certificate, diploma or degree. Your ECA must be less than five years old when you apply.

International Graduates

Candidates must have:

A minimum two-year degree, diploma, certificate, or trade or apprenticeship credential from a recognized publicly-funded institution in an Atlantic province.

Been a full-time student in Canada for at least two years.

Graduated in the 12 months prior to the application date.

Lived in one of the Atlantic provinces for at least 16 months in the last two years before graduation.

Had a visa or permit to work, study or train in Canada.

A candidate does not qualify if their study or training included:

English or French second language courses for more than half of the program.

Distance learning undertaken for more than half of the program.

A candidate cannot apply if their scholarship or fellowship required them to return to their home country after graduation.

Note: Atlantic Immigration Pilot candidates are able to apply for a temporary work permit if the job needs to be filled urgently. If an employer wants a candidate to apply for a temporary work permit first, the candidate will need to commit to applying for permanent residence within 90 days of the temporary application being submitted.

Job Offer

Under the high-skilled,intermediate-skilled and international graduate programs, candidates must have a job offer that is:

From a designated employer in an Atlantic province.

Non-seasonal.

Reviewed by the province.

Job offers for high-skilled workers must:

Be skill type/level 0, A, or B

Last at least one year

Job offers for intermediate-skilled workers must:

Be skill type/level 0, A, B, or C

Be indeterminate (permanent)

Job offers for international graduates must:

Be skill type/level 0, A, B, or C

Last at least one year

A candidate’s job offer does not need to be in the same occupation as past work experience. However, a candidate does need to meet employment requirements for the job, as listed in the NOC.

The employer does not need an LMIA. Each province will communicate a list of employers hiring under the Atlantic Immigration Pilot.

Language

Requirements applicable to all three programs

Candidates must:

Score at least a level 4 in the Canadian Language Benchmark exam in English or the Niveaux de Compétence Linguistique Canadiens in French.

Take an approved language test and meet the level for speaking, listening, reading and writing.

Results must be less than two years old on the date of application.

Proof of Funds

Requirements applicable to all three programs

Candidates need to show they have enough money to support themselves and their families after immigration. Amounts depend on the size of the family and includes family members a candidate supports that are not immigrating.

Proof is not required if a candidate is already living and working in Canada with a valid work permit.

Settlement Plan

A candidate must have a needs assessment before immigrating. After the assessment, a candidate will get a plan with information about the community they are moving to and where they can get help after arrival. To find out about the needs assessment, click here.

Endorsement

Employers must complete an Endorsement Application for each candidate able to fill an existing vacancy.

Candidates cannot apply to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada without an endorsement., which includes details of the job offer and settlement plan.

Interested employers: Kindly contact us here to receive further information.

Interested candidates: Find out whether you qualify to Canada by completing our free on-line evaluation. We will provide you with our evaluation within 1-2 business days.

Remove the reference to how citizenship revocation notices are delivered to dual citizens convicted of actions against the national interest.

Clarify who can apply for citizenship on behalf of a minor.

Revise the requirement to be physically present in Canada to three out of five years before applying for citizenship.

Revise the requirement for citizenship applicants to file income taxes, if required to do so, to three out of five years to match the physical presence requirement.

Remove reference that individuals must be physically present in Canada for a minimum of 183 days in four out of six years before applying for citizenship.

Revise the age range for language and knowledge requirements for citizenship to 18-54 years.

The table below outlines when new changes will be made under the Canada Citizenship Act with comparisons to the old law.

Immediate Changes (As of June 19, 2017)

Previous Citizenship Act

Citizenship Act with Bill C-6 Amendments

Citizenship could be revoked from dual citizens convicted of treason, spying and terrorism offences, depending on the sentence received, or who were a part of an armed force of a country or organized group engaged in conflict with Canada.

This provision is repealed. Dual citizens living in Canada who are convicted of these crimes will face the Canadian justice system, like other Canadian citizens who break the law.

Applicants were required to intend to continue to live in Canada if granted citizenship.

This provision is repealed. Applicants are no longer required to intend to continue to live in Canada once granted citizenship. This provides more flexibility to Canadians who may need to live outside of Canada for work or personal reasons.

The Minister had the discretion to waive certain requirements under subsection 5(1) of the Citizenship Act so a minor could obtain citizenship without a Canadian parent.

Minors can now apply for citizenship without a Canadian parent, as the age requirement for citizenship has been removed under subsection 5(1). A person having custody of the minor or empowered to act on their behalf by court order, written agreement or operation of law, can now apply for citizenship on behalf of the minor, unless that requirement is waived by the Minister.

No provision existed to prevent individuals serving a sentence in the community (a conditional sentence order) from being granted citizenship, taking the Oath of Citizenship or counting this time towards meeting the physical presence requirements for citizenship.

Individuals serving a conditional sentence will not be granted citizenship, take the Oath of Citizenship, or be able to count this time towards meeting the physical presence requirements for citizenship.

The Minister has the discretion to grant citizenship to a person to alleviate cases of special and unusual hardship, or to reward services of an exceptional value to Canada.

Statelessness has been added as a stand-alone ground that can be considered for a discretionary grant of citizenship.

The Department has reasonable measures to accommodate the needs of citizenship applicants. However, there was no explicit reference to accommodate persons with disabilities in the Citizenship Act.

The requirement to take into consideration reasonable measures to accommodate the needs of a citizenship applicant who is a disabled person is now included in the Citizenship Act.

The requirement for applicants to maintain the requirements for citizenship from the time they apply for citizenship until taking the Oath of Citizenship only applied to applications received on or after June 11, 2015.

This requirement now also applies to all applications, including those received before June 11, 2015.

Changes to Take Effect Fall 2017

Previous Citizenship Act

Citizenship Act with Bill C-6 Amendments

Applicants had to be physically present in Canada for four out of six years before applying for citizenship.

Applicants must be physically present in Canada for three out of five years before applying for citizenship.

Applicants had to file Canadian income taxes, if required to do so under the Income Tax Act, for four out of six years, matching the physical presence requirement.

Applicants must file Canadian income taxes, if required to do so under the Income Tax Act, for three out of five years, matching the new physical presence requirement.

Applicants had to be physically present in Canada for 183 days in four out of the six years preceding their application.

This provision is repealed. Applicants no longer have to meet this requirement.

Time spent in Canada prior to becoming a permanent resident did not count towards the physical presence requirement for citizenship.

Applicants may count each day they were physically present in Canada as a temporary resident or protected person before becoming a permanent resident as a half-day toward meeting the physical presence requirement for citizenship, up to a maximum credit of 365 days.

Applicants between 14 and 64 years had to meet the language and knowledge requirements for citizenship.

Applicants between 18 and 54 years must meet the language and knowledge requirements for citizenship.

Changes to Take Effect Early 2018

Previous Citizenship Act

Citizenship Act with Bill C-6 Amendments

The Minister was the decision-maker for most cases of citizenship revocation on the grounds of false representation, fraud, or knowingly concealing material circumstances. The Federal Court was the decision-maker for citizenship revocation cases involving false representation, fraud, or knowingly concealing material circumstances related to security, human or international right violations, and organized criminality.

The Federal Court is the decision-maker in all revocation cases, unless the individual requests that the Minister make the decision.

There was no clear authority for Citizenship Officers to seize fraudulent or suspected fraudulent documents provided under the Citizenship Act.

Clear authority for Citizenship Officers to seize fraudulent or suspected fraudulent documents is provided under the Citizenship Act.

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